Seattle Storm vs. Detroit Shock

While the Sonics ownership spent its spring dealing half its roster to playoff contenders and trying to hot-foot it to Oklahoma City, the Storms new local ownership quietly assembled the most formidable collection of talenton paperin the WNBA. Joining franchise linchpins Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson in the teams starting five this year are Sheryl Swoopes, Yolanda Griffith, and Swin Cash, three all-stars with gold-medal resumes. But while Cash, Bird, and Jackson are all in their prime, Swoopes and Griffith have really shown their age early on, with Griffith pressed into more-substantial-than-expected floor time since projected starting center Janell Burse suffered a preseason injury that will likely claim her entire season. Translation: The Storm, with a thin bench and creaky knees, need to win it all this year. Tonight, the perennially proficient Detroit Shock will provide an early test to see if they have the stuff of champions. Key Arena, 305 Harrison St., 684-7200, www.sonics-storm.com. $10$750. 7 p.m. MIKE SEELY